Boots - not Mum friendly. word of warning.

[CarolineFin]

Went into boots last week to swap a pack of nappies to a bigger size. Ended up not taking them straight to the till, thought i'd check they had the size 1st. I got distracted by some perfume, mothers day presents and my phone. Went to the till and paid, walked out of the store. Was standing outside sending a text and got stopped by securtity. When i'd been talking to the cashier and taking stuff out of the buggy basket i'd missed a gift set i'd put in. To cut a long story shorrt i was in the office for 2 hours, they called the police and everything. i was morfified and called hubby in tears.

Really i just wanted to warn you, I'm sure you all know how easy it is to stuff bits in your buggy basket as your doing your shopping. I've also been banned from Boots stores for 12 months, which is crazy seeing though i'm a member of the mother and baby club and buy a lot of food, nappies etc. They also accused me of taking the nappies i'd swapped and just wouldn't listen to me, even when they'd seen the cctv.

Anyway, thought i'd share, really wouldn't want it to happen to anyone, but they don't seem to trust harressed stressed out mums in a rush. mistakes don't happen....

A most pissed off caroline xx

"Yes it was MQ who said that I should have been arrested on the otehr thread, and that it was the same as stealing a laptop.
"

What was this then? I don't recall.

God, practically anything can reduce you to tears from sleep deprivation with a new baby. I found myself in Tesco a couple of weeks ago shoving stuff straight into a carrier bag from another shop, after having had about 2 hours sleep. I realised my idiocy, got a basket and all was fine, but I will hold my hand up to being capable of stupidity. Glad the world is safe in the hands of those who aren't.

Yonks ago. It was on the thread about the M&S woman.

Caroline
Tell us about your DD. What colour of hair does she have? 5 mths old - is she rolling over yet?

Don't remember in the slightest. what had you stolen?

I know that noone is being nasty, Kaloki but she posted in the best of intentions and is taking a bit of a drumming.

CarolineFin - probably not the best forum for this. Chat maybe? There is a warning at the top: "Note: Please bear in mind that this topic encourages posters to give their opinions - i.e. they might disagree with you etc."

It sounds like an honest mistake but very stressful for you

I agree. Leave her alone. She's probably very shaken up, hence the title of the post not being 100% accurate. You were just really, really unfortunate Caroline. Don't beat yourself up over it. I walked out of a pub once and completely forgot to pay for my lunch. My brother filled his car with petrol, went into pay, got distracted at the sandwich counter and drove off. The police called at his door a couple of nights later, believed his explanation and just told him to go back and pay the following day. We're all human.

While there are lots of shoplifters out there using buggies to help them steal, the majority of people are not thieves, just mums trying to carry their shopping around. I think it is not unreasonable of the staff to question Caroline but it is unreasonable of them to keep her in a room for 2 hours and not allow her to call anyone for ages. This is bullying imo.I'm not sure they even have the right to do this. They should either call the police straight away or accept her explanation and allow her to leave. I would formally complain to boots about their behaviour. An honest mistake does not mean she should be treated like a criminal. Very few people can say they have never done anything without thinking

I said what happened earlier in this thread.

"what had you stolen?" for crying out loud.

I was hoping the OP might be spared some of this.

It's an honest mistake but I have to say that I would have probably reacted the same way as the security people in the shop.
These things happen so easily though. My sister is quite a bit older than me and had to take care of me quite a bit as my mum is a single mum. One time she took me shopping and I sat in the cart, she paid for everything etc, got it packed when apparently I lifted up an eyeliner that she hadn't payed for by accident and yelled through the shop "X, you STOLE this", really judgeingly. My sister is the last person to steal but being in a rush, having a child around etc let us make mistakes.
I hope you got some rest at home after coming back, that must have been quite scary!

Thanks MneLindt. Dark brown and loads of it! Sitting up and trying to roll, he's done it a few times and I don't think it will be long before he's on the move! He's a really happy little chap and i'm very proud.

I really appreciate all the reponses from those who understand and won't use baskets in the future.

I've been feeling really down about it and hoped that by stopping it happening to another mum I might feel better...I don't, just feel even worse.

I'm not having a strop or throwning my toys out, but don't think i'll stick around. I've used another forum since i was pregnant and would never have got this kind of response. Don't think this is the site for me.

horrid experience. But YABU as you did commit an offence, albeit unwittingly.

At least they did not prosecute.

saslou - agree totally.

Caroline I know you're probably still upset from today and then got a flaming in AIBU but we're a nice bunch really

Caroline - don't leave because of this! I'm fairly new and have been surprised at some of the responses...
Why not start afresh? Change your name and come back tomorrow to post something frivolous about what you saw on telly.

I don't think a bit of compassion and benefit of the doubt would have undermined Boots but it would have made all the difference to the OP.

I've worked in retail banking for years and you get all sorts. We've had people stealing and doing frauds and had to call the police. But even when we'd caught them red handed they were treated with respect. A cup of tea while we waited for the police to arrive and a phone call makes a big difference... particularly when it turns out the "fake" driving licenence is a real one and all NI liceneces look like that and some tit at HO has made one huge mistake

Not a nice experience Caroline, put it behind you now and move on. And don't worry about the ban - surely you don't want to shop there anyway now?

Caroline, sorry you are getting such a pasting. AIBU, is a bit of a bear pit when it comes to threads like this.

I always use a reusable bag hung on hooks on the handle, but still have to put heavier stuff in the basket underneath, and stuff on the hood. I don't think i could use a basket, managing a P+Ts, 2 children and big ol pregnant stomach is enough for me to handle!

I have walked out of both Boots and Waitrose with something that i have forgotten to pay for, and they have always been fine, when I have gone back in and explained. I think maybe you were unlucky to have a particularly zealous member of staff, so maybe saying that the whole of Boots is un-mum-friendly might have been a bit harsh!

It sounds like you had a horrible experience, and don't need being pounced on here as well. Please don't leave MN, there are lots of supportive, funny and friendly people here.

I can spell licence honest

Caroline - look at this before you go. It's very comforting.

Give the girl a break - she was standing outside texting, not making a quick getaway. That's not normal shoplifter behaviour.
And all of you moaning 'well I juggle a buggy, kids, shopping, basket and bag' on one arm - remember when your first child was new, it takes a little time to learn shopping skills with a baby in tow, especially when you are sleep deprived.
Caroline, while I appreciate Boots need to protect their stock, I agree they were heavy handed.
Write to them at:
Andy Hornby, Group Chief Executive, Alliance Boots, PLC 1 Thane Road Beeston Nottingham, NG2 3AA. Explain and get the ban overturned - it may also alert them that there is no need to be quite so heavy handed.
I was accused of shoplifting in M&S once and had two policemem follow me back to work so I know how you feel. For the record, I hadn't nicked or bought anything, but their excuse was I "looked through the bras too quickly". Er, that would be as I know the size I am looking for ...
Idiots.

Caroline
He sounds lovely. Watch him now though, I can remember DD almost rolling off the changing mat. What a time to realise that she could roll!

Go and cuddle your DS and come back to MN. Either namechange, or keep your name whatever you like. But do stay.

Aside from anything else, you have survived your first AIBU - that is something to be celebrated.

Habbibu
Damn you for linking to that thread. Will take all my will power to not browse through it again, and I really must finish the ironing.

hee hee. A proper classic, though, and a nice counterpoint to many AIBU threads, isn't it?

CarolineFin I am sure that this could very easily happended to a lot of us.

I think as some other posters have pointed out this AIBU topic is one where MNs come for a "grilling".

If you had posted in Parenting or Chat I don't think that you would have had the same response at all.

What I was wondering was how was your baby whilst all this interrogation was going on.

Were you able to look after her and feed her/change her?

I can't understand why many other posters aren't bothered about the fact that you were kept in a room for 2 hours?

Regardless of whether you actually had been shoplifting or not, what it the legality of "keeping you" there?

How can they have tried to prevent you from calling your DH?

Does anyone know anthing about this area of the law? (i.e. Civil liberty/citizens arrest?)